Joy Lost
by BK1
Summary: Scully deals with the X Files, her brother, and the pregnancy.


JOY LOST

PG

Spoilers: Requiem and Season 7 in general.

Scully deals with the X Files, her brother, and the pregnancy.

Special Agent Dana Scully sat in the conference room. While Agent Chesty Short droned on about her and Mulder's trip to Belfleur Oregon without being able to justify the expense.

"And after what I told you went to Oregon knowing you couldn't justify the expense." Short said. "Are you even paying attention?"

Scully couldn't take any more of this, the past couple of days had been hard on her.

"No sir. I wasn't paying attention." Scully said. "In fact I don't care!" 

Short just sat there surprised at the outburst. 

"Really Agent Scully?" Short said. "Well maybe you'll care when I make a recommendation to…"

"To what?" Scully asked. "Shut down the X Files? Suspend me? Fire me? Go ahead do what you can to me or what you think you can to me. Because to be honest after everything that's happened in the last couple of days, everything that's happened to me in the last seven years! Well to be honest there's not much some sniveling little bureaucrat like you can do. Sir."

"You're excused Agent Scully." Short said.

"Good." Scully replied.

And with that Scully walked up and angrily marched off, while Short stared at the woman with nothing but contempt. 

DANA SCULLY'S APARTMENT

Scully sat in her apartment not watching t.v. not reading a book just sitting thinking, the silence in the apartment was shattered by the sound of knocking at the door. Scully got up gun in hand, she looked out the peep hole and was relieved when she saw her boss Walter Skinner standing there. She unlocked the door and let Skinner in.

"Hello sir." Scully greeted. "How are you." 

"I'm fine Scully." Skinner replied. "I heard about the incident with you and Short today." 

"He's probably after my head isn't he." Scully said.

"You could probably say that." Skinner reported.

"I don't care. If he wants to fire me, fire me let him, it doesn't really matter to me anymore." Scully said.

"But I do. You're too important, the X Files is too important…" Skinner was interrupted by Scully.

"Important? Important to who?" Scully asked. "Mulder's gone! The FBI they liked to see it go down more than anything, and the public most of the public doesn't even know about it, and if they did they would think it was a joke." 

Skinner paused for a moment. "It's important to you, it's important to me, and it is important believe me after what I've seen I can honestly say that the X Files is the most important division of the FBI whether they want to admit it or not." 

"Yeah but what about Short, he's probably after my…" Scully began.

"I'll worry about Short, he's nothing more than a glorified accountant on the FBI pay roll. You just worry about your child and Mulder." Skinner reassured his subordinate. 

"Yes sir and thank you sir." Scully said gratefully.

Skinner put a reassuring hand on Scully's shoulder. He then turned around and left. 

LATER THAT NIGHT.

Scully was eating with her brother, his wife Tara, and their son Matthew. When they were done eating Matthew ran toward his aunt.

"Hey Aunt Dana!" The toddler said.

"What is it sweetheart?" Scully asked.

"Momma sez they're a baby in your tummy!" Matthew exclaimed.

"Yep there sure is." Scully replied cheerfully.

"How did it get there?" Matthew asked. "Did ya eat em?" 

"Oh no sweet pea!" Scully said laughing. 

"Well how did it get there?" Matthew asked. 

"Your mommy and or daddy will explain it when you're a little older." Dana replied.

"Can you make him come out so I can play with him?" Matthew asked.

"Oh no honey, I'm afraid not you're going to have to wait a little bit longer." Dana replied.

"Now Matthew, you're not bothering your Aunt Dana are you?" Bill asked.

"Oh no Bill I was just telling Matthew about the baby." Dana explained. 

  
"You go on now Matt, I think Digimon is on." Bill said.

"Yay! Digimon!" Matthew exclaimed and with that the toddler ran to the nearest TV as fast as his small two and a half-year old legs could take him. 

"I want to talk Dana." Bill said. "I know about Mulder, and I can't tell you how angry I am how that twit got you pregnant and then ran off." 

"Bill first of all Mulder didn't ran off he was abducted." Scully said.

"Oh yeah, that boss of yours came back with some story about how the freak was beamed up into some UFO. It's all BS if you ask me." Bill stated.

"It's true, whether you want to believe it or not!" Scully said angrily.

"Why because your boss told you?" Bill asked. "Well Mulder probably convinced him to go to you and make up this story to cover his tracks." Bill said.

"Listen Bill." Scully said. "Skinner is a good man, he would never do something like that. And besides Mulder didn't even know I was pregnant! And if he did he wouldn't have left, Mulder's a good decent man, who loves me and cares about me, and I love him, whether you like it or not."

"So you believe this crap about Mulder being taken into the UFO?" Bill asked.

"You know what Bill, I do." Scully said. 

"I don't believe this crap if Dad was here he'd have you institutionalized right now." Bill stated.

"Well are you going to, Bill?" Scully asked.

"No, I don't think I would have the heart to." Bill said. "But I won't be exactly protesting if someone else does." 

"Someone I doubt you would." Scully replied. Bill began to say something but Scully stopped him. "I'm done with this conversation Bill. You want to believe that Mulder ran away than go right ahead, believe what you want. I'm not going to waste my breath to trying to convince you otherwise. But I know the truth Bill, and whether you can accept it or not, is none of my concern." Scully stated. 

There was a tenseness between Scully and her brother. But they tried their best to hide it from Tara and Matthew. Scully conversed with Tara and played with Matthew. 

"Time to go, buddy." Bill finally announced.

"Ooooh, but I want to pay with Aunt Dana some more." The child said.

"I know but you'll get to stay with Aunt Dana tomorrow after she gets off work." Bill said.

"Okay Daddy." The boy said. 

"Go hug you Aunt Dana goodbye." Tara said.

Matthew ran over and threw his tiny arms around his Aunt's neck.

"Bye Matthew." Scully said.

"Buh bye." The child replied.

She gently kissed the child on the head and sent him off to his parents. They all walked out and Bill took one last look at Scully shook his head and closed the door.

FBI CONFERENCE ROOM

THE NEXT DAY

Scully sat outside she could hear Chesty Short arguing with Skinner.

"I demand that she be censured!" Short said. "No in fact I demand that she be suspended without pay!" 

"I'll deal with her on my own time in my own way." Skinner said.

"I…." Short began.

"This conversation is over Short." Skinner said. "Now if you excuse me I want to have a private conference with Agent Scully." Short just stood there. "When I mean private I mean with Agent Scully and myself alone." Short got up and walked out, when he walked out of the office, Scully walked in. He was about to tell her to have a seat when she did it on her own. 

"I've got some good news, Agent Scully." Skinner said. "The X Files are still on, you'll be able to investigate them like you have before."

Scully breathed a sigh of relief. Skinner noticed this.

"But there's more." Skinner said.

"More?" Scully repeated.

"I had to convince Section Chief Cassidy (yes the same Cassidy from FTF), to do this." Skinner said. "One you'll have a new partner personally hand picked by Cassidy her self. And I suggest you watch yourself, Short will definitely not be happy about this, and while he maybe a "glorified accountant" like I said, but people can get promotions, they can rise to power." Skinner explained.

"I know sir." Scully replied. "Thank you for your help."

"Anytime agent." Skinner said.

Scully got up and shook his hand, and walked out the door. She walked out the door, she gently rubbed her abdomen, and thought of Mulder. She went to the elevator and pressed a button, after a few moments the door opened and she stepped in, she pressed the basement button and the door closed. After a long and quiet ride the elevator stopped and she got out. She walked to the basement office and opened the door. She was grateful that Skinner was able to keep the X Files up and running like it should be run. She wasn't however too pleased about being partnered with someone else, especially someone picked by a person who didn't have a lot of faith in their work, but she didn't complain she knew Skinner must of worked hard getting this for her, and as they say beggars can't be choosers. She sat down in Mulder's chair or what would now probably be her chair, for awhile anyway, she had faith that Mulder would come back and this business, faith is probably the only thing you can really count on in this business.

THE END.


End file.
